Boiled Peanuts and Foggy Pearls!

We've had a wonderful week....Meems and P-Daddy came through town twice, so we were able to visit with them while they were here! The last evening that they were here, my sweet daddy told us to invite Efrem to join us for dinner, and after I insisted that I just prepare dinner here at home, Dad went and picked up Efrem for a fun, enjoyable evening here at home. We enjoyed a wonderful meal (Eric prepared Mimi and Pawpaw's favorite...pan-seared tilapia with capers and a lemon wine sauce...it's really good! Macy made her famous dill cole-slaw, and I prepared mashed red-potatoes, a really good spring mixed salad with cranberries, mandarin oranges, bleu cheese and toasted/candied pecans), and then after dessert Dad and Annie drove Efrem back home, while the rest of us went for a little walk. We absolutely love having them here, for they are so easy to entertain. They always bring us really great goodies...like Mimi's special pumpkin bread for (one of her two) favorite son-in-laws, wine from our favorite vineyard, boiled peanuts from our favorite L.A. road-side stand (can you tell that I had a well-rounded childhood?) The girls put on little shows for them, scratch Pawpaw's back, get up early to visit with them...Annie rushes downstairs to "beat everyone else" so that she can have "just Mimi and her time" before the sun comes up, and Macy and Tressie usually snuggle up with Pawpaw while he reads to them one fairy tale after another! We'll have big breakfasts, and then decide what we'll do for the day! Generally, Mimi and the girls and I will go one direction while the fellas take off to either Northern Tool & Supply, Harbor Freight Tools or Sears. Then we'll meet back up with one another before heading back home....then on the tragic day that they leave, we all tear up. We love them so much and always hate to see them leave!

Thank you Mimi and Pawpaw for loving us the way that you do!

We love you too!

This last time when they left, we received a phone call from Aunt Jan and Uncle Eddie, who were traveling to Sewanee, and they wanted to see if we wanted to join them for a birthday dinner for Aunt Jan at Pearl's [Foggy Mountain Cafe]...uhhh, yeah! Reservations were at 5:30, so we had to get ourselves into high gear! So our sadness over Mimi and Pawpaw quickly turned to excitement to see Uncle Eddie and Aunt Jan while celebrating her birthday...woohoo...along with a strong desire for tasting really great food and wine! Eric and I enjoyed sea scallops with a port wine & pomegranate glaze, couscous and sauteed Napa cabbage (oh, I am craving more now!); the girls enjoyed chicken fingers (which we all agreed tasted just like Mother Simpson's...so good!) with white cheddar cheese grits; Uncle Eddie enjoyed the special, which was tuna with wasabi mashed potatoes and somethin' else...after tasting the wasabi mashed potatoes my thoughts disappeared; and the birthday girl enjoyed roasted chicken with Basmati rice and fresh English peas. For dessert (it doesn't matter where we are eating...), all Tressie has to do is give Uncle Eddie one look (and mind you...when he's around, she right there...I'm not sure if she's wrapped around his finger, or if she has him wrapped around her little finger!), for he will order her the moon! Eric and Eddie (and Tressie) enjoyed their bread puddings with a rich bourbon glaze while Macy, Annie and I took care of a triple-chocolate mousse, and the birthday girl enjoyed her favorite...a vanilla bean Crème Brûlée...oooh, it's all sooo good!

After enjoying such a wonderful dinner, Macy and I just had to take a ride in Uncle Eddie's new hybrid SUV, so we drove out to their "home away from home" and visited with them some out there. Of course, the girls feel right at home out there...we re-make friends with Prince Snarles (or Buddy as they call their sweet, darlin' and snarlin' yellow lab), and then the girls run to their favorite 'spots.' Annie always snuggles up on the big sofa and checks out the "Where's Waldo" books while Macy and Tressie race to call shot-gun and get up on the big comfy bed in "their" room....it doesn't take long to see why they like it so much...there's a huge TV at the end of the bed, and Uncle Eddie always finds something wonderful for them to watch! That evening, the waterfall was running so loudly, so the rest of us hung out on their sunroom, enjoyed good coffee, talked about "this and that" (eh'hem) and laughed 'til we could laugh no more. We always have such a great time going up there, and it's always hard to leave!

Thank you, Aunt Jan and Uncle Eddie, for such a wonderful evening!

We love you tons and bunches!

"Remember the rule...no tattle-taling!"

Sitting downstairs, I hear the girls quiet play turn into something more. Then I hear Tressie say these words... "Remember the rule...no tattle-taling!" followed by a quick, deliberate walk across the upstairs floor...down the stairs...and right up to me, "Momma, Annie's coming downstairs to tattletale on me!"

"Um...what are you doing, little missy?"

Now tell me that you could look at her in the eye and give her words of wisdom without cracking a smile!

Annie's birthday "week"!

This week was a loooong week!

On Monday, we ended our spring break and got back to our regular school schedule, although Momma's still re-adjusting it! (Isn't that one of the many perks of homeschooling?) After we finished our school work, the girls and I ran off to do some errands...which did include picking up a few last minute things for our birthday girl! I was wondering how-on-earth I was going to pick up a few gifts for her from her family (like a fishing pole for her daddy, a fish for her sister, etc.), and God answered our questions...the little thing asked to climb into the back of the buggy, and I bought a towel (we can always use an extra towel, and she needed a pillow!) for her to lay her head...and she was OUT! At first, I thought she was kidding, but she was truly sound asleep! And thankfully, that allowed Macy and Tressie and I to pick up a few things for her gifts and her breakfast the next morning! She didn't even wake up until I awoke her...after I had hidden her gifts in the back of the car! I think she's still just worn out from all of the tests and attention given to her not feeling well! "Bless her heart!" Her sleeping in the back of the buggy was so cute that I just had to take a photo!

On Tuesday, we got up early to begin celebrating Annie's birthday! We woke her up (yeah, right...the little early-riser was lying there in her bed pretending to be asleep so as not to disappoint us!), and we gave her some birthday gifts. Later on that morning we went and picked up her best friend, Efrem, and took him out with us to have a fun day on the town! We met Daddy downtown to have a birthday lunch with him and then the girls, Efrem and I went on to the Aquarium. (Tip to self: next time, DON'T wear brand-new shoes to do so much walking and DO take someone stronger than you when you have to wheel a heavy, run-a-way wheelchair down so many slanted paths...whew!)

Annie's showing Efrem a beautiful butterfly that she 'caught' inside the butterfly pavillion...Annie's favorite exhibit!

The girls found some divers that showed them a good time! Through the glass they played patty-cake, rock-paper-scissors, etc. They were so funny!

After our fun trip to the Aquarium, we enjoyed sitting outside at Coldstone Creamery and had a little bite of ice-cream....ooh, it's so good!

Then on Wednesday, we had to wake up earlier than usual to do our shuttling around of girls so that Eric and I could get Annie to the hospital (see earlier post). Bless her heart, it wasn't a fun trip, but it was nice to have "just you and me time."

On Thursday, we tried to have a day of normalcy and tried to stay at home. We did our schoolwork, and I did a little tidying up and preparing our foods for Annie's birthday party on Friday!

Then the next day....thank goodness it's Friday...we spent the morning doing some schoolwork, and then I got serious about getting the house ready for our supper club to come over to help us celebrate Annie's birthday! Suprisingly, Eric was at home around lunchtime when I cut my hand VERY badly, and he helped me finish up a few last-minute things before our guests began to arrive! The Parkers, Daniels, Caulkins and the Scotts all joined us...and we realized that our supper club's ratio of children to adults has increased...we now have 10 adults and 11 kids! All of them individually are such blessings!

We were prepared to have a "Hoe Down" outside; however, the weather (God!) had other plans, so we all stayed inside where it was dry, and after the kids ate, Eric set up the DVD projector and had a BIG showing of Toy Story in the family room while the adults all enjoyed our dinner. It was a fun and wonderful evening!

Sweet, little Annie!

Thanks so very much to those that called, wrote, etc. Your show of love, concern and prayers for our little Annie helped us through that difficult day! We greatly appreciated it! Annie did a great job...she was definitely scared but brave. I didn't tell her too much in advance, for I feared her dwelling on it, so I let the doctor's explain it to her while I sat beside her and reassured her. I was concerned that I was being foolish by not explaining everything to her ahead of time, but it worked out perfectly!

My good friend Eric Hathaway reminded me that God 'often' does not reveal all of His details to us...only in His perfect timing. He agreed that children don't always need to know everything and that God does not always reveal everything to us. He asks us to trust Him and his knowledge and wisdom. Eric was so kind to relate these two...by our withholding the info from her we were helping her to trust and rely on us as her parents...exactly as God teaches us to trust and rely on Him to know what is best for us. I really appreciated those words of encouragement!

I'm still amazed at how God paved our path for that day...I could definitely feel His answer to our prayers! Eric's typically even-keeled, so I didn't detect any anxiety on his part, and I could personally feel God's answer for our prayers of peace. I was still very anxious, but God did allow the doctors to have both Eric and I in the room with her, and Annie was a very strong girl!

And looking back, the time that Eric and I spent sitting with Annie and waiting 'for our turn' was precious time well spent. We always love to have the opportunity to just sit and enjoy one child at a time, and that day was set aside for some more "just you and me time"! We knew that the other girls were having a great time....Macy once again spent the day with sweet Miss Craig, while Tressie had the pleasure of becoming a Stephens for a day! And after several hours spent at the hospital, the nurses showered Annie with gifts, then we took her to pick out a new Webkinz...we would have given that girl the world! We were so proud of her, thankful that we had friends to help us out and most importantly thankful that God gave us a sense of peace and comfort!

Now just the waiting!

God enjoys drawing us near!

After a more-than-wonderful trip to Louisiana, we knew that we needed to get back home by a certain day, for we had to have Annie at the children's hospital to have an ultrasound done on her kidneys after having several episodes with her over the last couple of months.

So early that morning Macy went to spend the morning with Miss Craig; Tressie had the joy of going to work with her daddy, while Annie and I had the pleasure of spending "just you and me time" sitting at the hospital. They checked her in, and we sat some more. The children's hospital really is a place of wonder. All of the waiting rooms are equipped with a television monitor that is playing the same movie, so as we walked from one room to another, Annie didn't miss a single line of "Surf's Up."

Just resting assured that they wouldn't find anything, I held Annie's hand through the ultrasound until she was assured herself that there was nothing to be of concern. After hearing that our doctor would 'get back with us' in a couple of days, we left and ran a couple of errands while enjoying some "just you and me time" before picking up her sweet sisters.

The next morning, the phone rang; it was our pediatrician, who called to tell us that they did find something on her left kidney, so he wanted her scheduled for further testing. Later that day, the hospital called and told us that they had scheduled her next test for the following Tuesday! Holding back the tears, I told them that was her birthday! So thankfully, I was able to reschedule it for the following day.

For some reason, God planned all of this around her birthday...I'm still not sure why; however, we decided that it was best to not say anything to sweet Annie, and we just prayed and asked our close friends and family to pray with us. We are in His hands, and in His timing He reveals to us what He wills. We as parents are so very thankful to have her...she adds so much to our lives! Sometimes so much that this 'lil gal keeps us on our knees!

Psalm 121

Easter

Easter wouldn't be Easter if we didn't go to Louisiana to spend it with our family. Well, I guess it would, for Easter is the beloved time of year that we set aside to remember our dear Savior's death and more importantly His Resurrection!

Yet it's this time of year that we travel to Louisiana to see some of our family...and this year just seemed all-the-more special. We left on Tuesday and traveled as far as we could before we ran into some weather. We got off the interstate in Pearl, MS, where we have stayed once before, but this time we accidentally chose to stay on the wrong side of the tracks...oops! The hotel, a Country Inn & Suites, appeared brand new from the outside, but once we went up to our room...it was apparent that the inside had not been remodeled as the outside had been done. We were tired so we fell fast asleep and awoke the next morning for a quick bite to eat and then check out and hit the road...uh, watching the manager dropping his little baggie of drugs on the floor in front of us wasn't on our agenda...but it happened...like I said, 'wrong side of the tracks'! Next time, we'll either stick with what hotels we know or continue traveling! The next day we drove on to see my grandmother, my mom's mom, who was staying in the hospital. We were able to spend some time with her before we drove on to see my grandfather, my dad's dad. We drove by his house and picked him up before going to check into our hotel. The hotel was really nice, and we were given a suite with a king-size bed and a little living room/kitchen area which had a pull-out sofa for the girls at night. This set-up was perfect for us, for during the day time we could use the living area to visit with Pawpaw.

That evening, we went to one of our favorite restaurants there, Imperial Cathay, and Tressie had the thrill of her life. We ordered her an appetizer, chicken-on-a-stick, for her meal, and they brought her so that she could heat her own food. Oh, what fun those girls had, and how special Tressie felt! They each had to take a turn at it!



The next day Pawpaw came over to the hotel and had breakfast with us, and then he took us to a really neat museum, one of The Karpeles Manuscript Library Museums. There are nine of them in the United States, and the museums rotate their privately-owned exhibits of original manuscripts and documents. We were able to see the first national Thanksgiving Day proclamation under the Constitution as well as several other well-written, historical documents. The museum also has exhibits of local artists, and one of Pawpaw's good friends, had an art exhibit going on, so we were able to see some of her beautiful watercolor paintings. Then we drove over to see some "old" friends of mine (just kidding, Brian and Rachel!) to give them a baby gift.

After we left them, we headed over to Barnwell to see another art exhibit (It was beautiful photography, Bob! My favorite was the close-up of Audrey! I know you are so proud!) While we were there, I took the opportunity to take a few photos in the conservatory of my beautiful girls!

We spent the rest of the day having fun and running around town checkin' out this and that. We ate lunch at an unusual Mexican restaurant and then went to visit Auntie "Uh-Oh!" She looks so good, and it was wonderful to see her. That evening, we had a quick bite to eat before taking Pawpaw home and then heading back to the hotel. After breakfast with him the next morning, we left to drive over to my cousin's home where my mom's side of the family was all getting together.

We love you, Pawpaw, and we had a wonderful visit with you!

Easter, cont.

After we sadly left Pawpaw, we got back on the road to make it to lunch at my cousin's house. It was really great to see everyone! Aunt Lil, my cousin Amy and her daughters Melanie and Miranda were entertaining us all! Aunt Losi and Uncle Richard were there, and I was even able to see my cousin Greg, whom I haven't seen in years! My cousins Mike and Dawn and their boys were there (next time I'll see them will be in Rome!); Uncle Ray and Aunt Virginia were there for a little while. And Jen and her kids were there (Mimi stayed with Mamaw at the hospital). Everyone had so much fun...and the fact that there was a new, little puppy didn't help any! The kids had a blast just playing in their backyard; Amy had a wonderful lunch and yummy birthday cake for Michael (Happy Birthday, again!); the little ones had fun hunting Easter eggs; Jen and I had fun playing their Wii (is that how it's spelled?)! Fun and lots of laughter was had by all!

That evening we drove back to Ruston, and Macy and I dropped off Eric, Annie and Tressie to check us into the hotel where mom and Jen were staying so they could unpack us while she and I drove to the hospital to see Mamaw. We ended up spending the better part of the night there with her, for she had a difficult evening. She was so weak, and her IV wasn't working. Macy was a trooper and so patient and kind while we stayed with Mamaw. We got back to the hotel late that evening, and early the next morning Mom and I drove back to the hospital to be with her. Thankfully, Mamaw had a good night's sleep.

Later that day we drove over to Uncle Ray's house to take Annie fishing (she's dreamed of fishing her "whole, entire life"!) and have a fish fry! We had a wonderful time, and the food was unbelievable! Uncle Ray prepared us catfish marinated in Dijon mustard and then rolled in cornmeal...you talk about good! It was a fun day spent with Uncle Ray and Aunt Virginia, who gave me a ton of sewing books...thank you! A little sun on our faces, a little shopping at the Beehive, a visit back to see Mamaw, and a nice, quiet evening in the hotel...another wonderful day! Tomorrow would be Easter Sunday!

The next day was Easter Sunday...what a gloriously, beautiful day it was! We all drove over to Monroe to worship with some good friends of ours at Auburn Avenue. It was great to see them, and the sermon was wonderful. When we got back to the hotel, we took a formal photo of Drew and all of the granddaughters ~ in their matching Easter dresses...in front of a coke machine! We were all starving and ready to get out of our Sunday clothes. After lunch, some of us went to visit with Mamaw (we tried to go in shifts so as not to overwhelm her), and some of us took a nap while we were locked out of our hotel room...not even the manager's master key would open it! After the hotel had to call someone to take our door apart to get it open, we were finally able to get back into our room...and then I took the baby and left to go and spend some time with Mamaw and Mom, who was still at the hospital with her. And all I have to say is, "Whew! I had forgotten how incredibly heavy those baby carriers are! And all of the paraphernalia that one has to take 'just in case'!" But it was a lot of fun spending that time with my more-than-precious niece and watching Mamaw get so much pleasure out of seeing her! The next morning we planned to leave, but the hotel offered us another night since we had been locked out of our room, so we took it! Woohoo! Another day spent with family is great!

That evening, we had a little impromptu party/picnic in our hotel room and then the next morning mom and I went to check on Mamaw...she was peacfully sleeping, so Mom and I were able to sit outside her room and actually look at one another and visit...we had been able to see one another, but until then, we hadn't really had the opportunity to visit with each other! It was always so funny to go back to the hotel lobby to find Eric and Jen with all six of the kids' having breakfast. They always looked so cheerful and seemed to have everything under control. Of course, it was more fun to watch everyone else watching them...and some even asking, "Are all of these kids yours?" It was too funny! We spent the day meandering about town, visiting with Mamaw, going up to her house to see it again before it's sold, and an evening spent swimming in the pool. It was yet~again another wonderful day!

That evening, Eric and I packed the car, so the next morning we just grabbed a quick bite to eat from the hotel and drove over to say goodbye to Mamaw until we can come back and see her. It is so difficult to say goodbye to someone that loves you and that you love so much, but we had to start driving back home. We made an educational stop in Vicksburg for a while and then got back on the road. The trip back home didn't seem to take too long! Hope we remember that when we look at our calendars to go back out there! Soon, I hope!

The price of bird seed!

Has anyone else noticed the price of bird seed going up?!? I generally just purchase our seed at Lowe's, Sams or Walmart, but lately I've started to think, "What are my other options?!? Can I make some from scratch?!?" I think this week we may try to make our own suet...I wonder if Mikey will like it!

I get a newsletter from Bird Watcher Supply Company, and their last newsletter mentioned an apology to their customers for having to raise the prices on bird food more than twice in the last year! They mentioned that farmers are getting government subsidies to grow corn for the Ethanol craze instead of their regular sunflower crops, so there has been much less sunflower, safflower, etc. to go around. And another super-duper, interesting tidbit: Frito Lay is using more sunflower in an effort to make their snack foods healthier. Hmmm! The newsletter went on to say that the while the birding industry has never seen such high prices, we have been in this cycle before, so prices should come back down. Supply and demand at its finest!

I found all of this so interesting! Especially the part about Frito Lay! Who knew?!? And I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but I've noticed that the bird feeders themselves have been more plentiful and less expensive lately...hmmm...supply and demand, I guess! The stores can't sell you on buying birdseed due to its high cost, but they can certainly sell you a feeder on sale! "Now that I've sold you this lovely bird feeder, what may I sell you to put in it?!?"

Speaking of bird feeders being on sale...we do have bird feeders all around our yard, but this last one that we just bought has been my favorite! It's simple but fun! It's a hanging feeder with a tray in it that can be left in to collect water for a birdbath or removed to allow the tray under it with holes to just hold the bird seed. We have it hanging outside one of the living room windows; so for the last couple of days we've been watching several "couples" hangin' out in it! We've nick-named it the "jacuzzi" feeder...the females generally get down inside it, and the fellas hang out on the edge keeping watch of everything going on around them! One can almost hear them communicating with one another!

Now if I can just get the dern squirrels to get off of my feeders! I put out plenty of food for them on the ground....I think I'm going out there right now to 'vasoline' the poles that they seem to effortlessly climb to get to my new feeders! Those squirrels will also climb the window screens to get to the feeders that are suction-cupped to the windows...that just annoys all of us...especially the dog! "Go get'em, boy!"

God's boundless creation is amazing, and I'm so thankful that we have the opportunity to watch it...even if it is for the expensive feed and the annoying squirrels that steal someone else's food!

Mountains, Rivers, Oceans and Canyons!

Waking up to some yucky weather (lovely, spring thunderstorms), we decided that we would take the risk of getting to the IMAX in time to see the preview of their newest film, Grand Canyon Adventure 3D. We had been given an opportunity to go and see a free screening of the movie which is now showing. We made it there...just in the nick of time, and it was simply amazing! The 3-D film takes one down the mighty Colorado River on a thrilling, whitewater rafting trip. And I highly recommend it to anyone! Now, there was a global-warming slant to it; however, I just write that off easily as 'only time will tell'....until we are being warned about our global-cooling situation!

The scenery was beautiful, and I can tell you that everyone in the theatre blinked (or even wiped!) the water away from their eyes...it is so real! It's just amazing to me how 3-D videography can trick one's brain! You must go and see it!

After the movie, we went back home to get ready for Aunt Jan and Uncle Eddie. We readied the house and then drove down to meet them at the Aquarium. We spent a fun day walking through the exhibits and checking out every plant and animal that there is!

Oh, how these girls love their Aunt Jan & Uncle Eddie!

Annie checkin' out the stingrays...yes, all but Macy and I were touching them!

After we had seen all that there was to see, we went back to our house and enjoyed a "quick" appetizer (Alal's 7-layer dip) and then headed out to Canyon Grill for dinner. Thankfully, we had a reservation so we didn't have to wait...and man; it was good! After enjoying some rajas and french bread with our Layer Cake Shiraz and Hogue Riesling, we all ate til we could eat no more. Jan and I enjoyed the chicken with capers (my "usual"); Uncle Eddie had the grilled salmon; Eric enjoyed the chicken with roasted red pepper sauce; and the girls always get the chicken with the creamy herb dip, garlic-mashed potatoes and lima beans...I know, I know...lima beans have never tasted as good as they do out there! And their water with the tiny bites of ice is enough to make me drive out there...just for their water...it's so highly purified...it's all sooo good!

Worth "writin' home about"

Clorox spray with bleach...this stuff is amazing! I have to say that we all sorely miss "Miss Bonnie," who once weekly graced us with her presence! But I also have to say that this Clorox spray with bleach is "almost" just as good! I just spray this cleaner on the dry walls and come back after a while to rinse it off!

Since I've found this cleaner to work amazing wonders on our all-white bathrooms tiles, Eric has quit singing, "Oh, bring back~bring back~oh, bring back my Bonnie to me~to me!"

Our bathrooms' all-white tiles (floor, walls and ceiling!) have never been cleaner!

A fun fieldtrip

This last week proved to be a very diligent week...which is a very rewarding feeling! So at the end of the week, we were ready to take off on a fun fieldtrip to the Chickamauga Battlefield with lots of other homeschooling friends and their moms. Although it was raining, we went outside to see a firing demonstration and then back inside to see the new movie that is now showing...it is a wonderful description of how the south and north fought their local battles here in the Chattanooga area, and the national park's new theatre at the battlefield is really impressive!

After the movie presentation, the ranger'ess gave a really informative lecture on a day in the life of a soldier and then we spent quite some time walking through the exhibits and checking out the giftshop. It was a cold, rainy day, but we thoroughly enjoyed ending our week with a 'bang'!

Picnics, cannons, and electric maps!

Today the girls and I were reading some more of Family Under Fire, A Story of the Civil War, written by Ronald Kidd and published by the Chattanooga Regional History Museum! It’s a fictional story (all too real for me!) about a family who lives in Chattanooga and has their life disrupted by the Civil War.

When we sadly came to the last chapter of the book, we read that the battles were being fought atop Lookout Mountain, so we stopped and packed up our lunch to take it up to Point Park, so that we could finish the book there. It was such an incredibly beautiful day! We had been so "into" our book that we hadn't noticed how late it had gotten (and the recent time change hasn't helped us any either!), so we quickly threw a little picnic together and drove up to Point Park. After entering the park proudly with our picnic basket and blanket in hand, the first sign we see is a sign that reads, "No picnicking!" Aghh...we were starving and were emotionally invested at this point, so we found the park ranger and politely asked, "If we promise we won't picnic, may we just nibble?" He was a very tall, kind-looking man (reminded me very much of Denzel Washington, if you wanted to know!), and he laughed and said, "Yes, you gals may nibble, but no picnicking!" So we ran off to find the perfect spot to finish our book and enjoy the scenic view!

Sitting in the wonderful sunshine, we had a good time finishing up our book and even took a few photos for Pawpaw, who should be very proud that his daughter is now also relishing in our amazing, southern history! This is his daughter that once thought the only good thing about a battlefield was the paved roads that her daddy would let her drive along while he was walking along checking out each marker! Yes, my sister and I grew up on many-a-battlefield! We tried to stack rocks under the canons like the confederates did to aim down the mountain at the Yankees, but thankfully we didn't see any! Well, except for a few tourists, but we let'em go!

After running about the park, the girls had the luxury of seeing their first electric map...I’ll give you one guess as to who loved it and who didn’t love it so much! We wandered about the gift shop until the lady opened up the theatre for the last showing, and I rushed the girls into the theatre so that we could get good seats (I was afraid that they wouldn't be able to see for all of the other people sitting in there!), well, as soon as we took one step inside the dark theatre, I heard the door slam and lock! Seriously, there are NO lights on inside there...we could barely make out each others faces due to a glimpse of light coming in from under an exterior door that's not properly sealed! Knowing that we had been the first ones to enter the theatre, I prayed that we were the only ones in the theatre! Not knowing what to expect next, I quickly sat down next to Annie on the first row while I gave my permission to Macy and Tressie to take whatever seats they wanted. As the show began (and I'm not implying any lights came on, for they didn't!), the manly voice narrated the story of the "Battle Above the Clouds." I wasn't able to hear much, for all I could focus on was the nervous calls, "Mommy, where are you?!?" I finally was able to get the girls to 'come to my voice' and sit in my lap and the chair next to me. After getting the eldest to stop crying (she was so nervous and uncomfortable there in the dark and unfamiliar territory), I held her and tried to refocus...until the door unlocked, a lady-figure walked/stumbled in, the door shut and was locked again. Being able to see the figure stumbling into the theatre with hands held out in front of them, the lady-figure completely walked into the wall in front of her. Trying to allow her to maintain her dignity, I gently whispered (loudly enough), "Do you need help?" Hearing my voice, she turned her body toward us as if...oh, this is the direction I should go. Then she walked directly into Annie's seat...she was so thankful to have found a seat, so she proceeded to sit down...on Annie! (Bless her heart!) After taking her by the hand (ew...touching a stranger!), I led her in front of us to the seat beside Tressie, who now was more nervous than ever...but I didn't have any more lap to hold her! Macy wasn't about to switch seats with Tressie! So I re-focused again and enjoyed what I was able to hear. But I think my favorite was when the story ended, and Tressie looked up at me with big, excited eyes and said, "Momma, did our team win?"

I know our next electric map won't be nearly as exciting as this trip, but I'd still love to go back...this time we'll know more of what to expect. I might even take my own rope-lighting with me! Later this week, our homeschool group is going on a field trip to Chickamauga Battlefield, so I think we've successfully brushed up on some of our southern history!

Oprah and her influence

Lately, several friends have asked my opinion on Oprah's new book and study on A New Earth and A Course in Miracles. And I have to say that until now, I haven't been familiar with them at all. But after having done a little research on the studies, my stand is the same but stronger...I don't want any part of it.

Laughingly, I say that I have limited brain cells, and setting a few brain cells aside to following Oprah and her teachings is not at the top of my priority list...it's no where on my list!

My hope that she gets the message that conservative Christians aren't subject to being her followers, for I don't consider half of what she says as pearls of wisdom at all! Personally, I do feel as if she has way-too-much influence on many people that would ordinarily think for themselves or stay true to God's truth.

Sadly to say, at times I have unknowingly been influenced by those that craftily form their words, so I've learned to always be cautious to not quickly jump onto any bandwagon. And after reading a few Internet reviews/postings on her new book, I'm even more convinced...we should be wary! Some girlfriends have suggested buying the book to see "what all of the talk is about"; however, I'd rather not have the book benefit from any of our money (which implies to the publishers that we're supporters!), nor do I want my time to be wasted on reading empty lies and paraphernalia...can you tell I feel strongly about this?!?

This IS scary, and we do need to be aware! I'm sad to say that Oprah does have tremendous influence on the general public! Christians do need to take heed! Here is a very good article written by Warren Smith.

It's not surprising at all that Oprah Winfrey is supporting Barak Obama!!!

Christians do need to take heed!!

All in a day's work!

This morning, the girls and I got right down to business, for this afternoon Macy and her daddy had the pleasure of going to a field trip together.

After breakfast and a few chores we settled right into working on our prayer journals (which I'm proud to say that the younger two are now writing their own prayers of thanksgiving and requests into their own prayer journals! I was spending the time to write them down for them, but now they are writing their own, and one day we'll look back and be even more grateful for their sweet, little penmanship and silly misspellings!) Then we completed our math, language and some of our history readings. Then for some of our extracurricular reading, we continued our Family Under Fire, A Story of the Civil War, which is so good, and we just "needed" to read some more of it!

After lunch, our sweet daddy left work a little early to come and pick up Macy to take her to a little field trip with some of our homeschool group. They went to visit Niedlov's, which is a quaint, little bakery...I hope the word 'little' doesn't' offend them...if so, sorry! They learned lots and had a fun time bringing us home some of the most wonderful, chocolate chip-oatmeal cookies and had fun telling us all about what/where/who they saw! Macy had a good time catching up with some friends of hers, and Eric enjoyed getting to see how a bakery produces their baked goods on such a large scale and large equipment!

Later that evening, I had the pleasure of meeting some girlfriends (from the same homeschool group) out for a dinner at our favorite, local Mexican restaurant! We got together to eat, catch up with one another, encourage each other, and just laugh at what has/hasn't worked for us as individuals teaching our children and our homeschool group as a whole! I have to say that I left those gals feeling sooo refreshed about how I'll continue rearing our little family as well as how excited about how we'll continue leading our homeschool group! We have lots of little changes which I feel for sure will have lots of necessary, positive impact! I just love those gals!

His tools ~ Her jewels

Today the girls played "wedding." They were so cute! They baked goodies and snacks to serve at the reception, wrapped wedding gifts, got out trays and wine glasses in which to serve their food and drinks at their "reception," and they played Anna Kay Clark's CD for the music and dancing.

Tress was marrying her beaux, a tuxedo-clad Build-a-Bear; Macy was the wedding planner and maid of honor; I was to be the mother who had to hold Tressie's long veil as she walked down the "aisle" until I was seated next to Brody and the rest of the family and guests (closely resembling more stuffed animals)! Ahhh...the dreams and aspirations of a young girl!

Obediently, I sat still on the sofa until I had to excuse myself for laughing too hard...well disguised as tears of anguish for losing my baby...to a Build-a-Bear! I had to leave when I overheard them discussing the wedding rings...Annie quietly slipped the "husband's" ring over the teddy bear's ear "since his hand was too fat," and Macy told them that was alright, for Tressie could wear all of the rings! She said, "A woman's hand is only good for diamonds and shopping bags!" She went on to say, "His tools; her jewels!"

Where do they learn this stuff?!? Certainly, not m-wah!

It's snowing!!!

It's snowing outside, and it's more than beautiful! Now as a typical southerner, I can spot the first snow-flake that falls in our region, but this time it really is coming down and sticking to the ground! And I know that I don't know that much about snow, but I'm pretty sure that this snow is what one calls "powder," for the wind will come through, and the snow will fly back up into the air to resettle with more that's falling. It's simply beautiful!

The birds are all in hyper-motion collecting a few extra seeds from the feeders. I guess they instinctively know to gather what they can before it's covered up (yes, I'm an optimistic southerner!) The birds' colors...they are even more brilliant against the white snow! How beautiful it all is!

Normally I would stick around just watching out the window, but today...there is a big sale that I must get to! I've been needing to replace our umbrella on our wrought iron patio table, and there will be one on sale at 10AM at Tuesday Morning. And you know that there are a few other important accessories...at close-out prices, of course! I shop there only occasionally, and I haven't been to a sales event there in a while, but I remember going there once with a friend to one of their sales, and we had to take turns standing in line while one of us shopped and the other one held our place in line...it was crazy, so I'm hoping that it won't be like that today!

Here's to all of us, the weather, and happy shopping!

Over the hills and through the woods to YaYa's house we go!

Last Sunday afternoon, the girls began to watch out the window, for we were all excited to see my mom and sister with my adorable nephew and two precious nieces, who were on their way! And what a fun week we had while they were here!

Earlier this month, I found the cutest Easter baskets for my nephew and 2 nieces, so we filled them up with some little goodies that were also awaiting their arrival! (I always try to have a welcome basket awaiting our guests to let them know how much we love and appreciate their visit!)

My wonderful brother-in-law is deployed as he is proudly serving our country, so they came up to here for a little change of scenery! However, Mom and Jen brought the wrong baby...they brought my 4 1/2 year-old nephew Drew and my 2 1/2 year-old niece Sarah Katherine (who is talking so well...it's so cute!) and a baby that is just getting too big! We celebrated her 3-month bday while they were here! We all had a fun time passing her back and forth...eat, sleep, and giggle was all she did...she is such a good baby, and we loved every minute of it! (Now, of course, there would be one time of evening when she would want Uncle Ricci to be the one to hold her! Right about the same time he would come home from work! She wanted him, and he wanted her! There were several evenings that she would stay up with him late at night...just the two of them, bonding! He's definitely got the touch!)

Mom, Jen and I had fun planning our days: cooking, talking, lots of laughing, shopping, working on puzzles together, eating chocolate (Jen, you left that huge box of chocolates here...I'm not sure if that's good or bad!), and even talking to Nate via internet/video...technology ceases to amaze me! The cousins had fun saying, "YaYa, where we going today?" They had so much fun walking/running on the treadmill [;)] and just running around the house playing with one another, and Brody misses SK terribly, for she'd walk around giving him food all day! And I miss Mimi terribly, for she helped me a great deal getting caught up on our laundry! Thanks, Mimi! They'll definitely have to come back soon, for our town does have a lot for families to do, and we did have a "fabulous" time while there were here, but there's still much for us to do! So we hope they can come back...soon, for on Thursday their trip was sadly cut short.

Wednesday afternoon Annie began not feeling so well, and by that evening her head was hurting her so badly (and she also kept complaining about her neck), and her fever went from low-grade to 103.8, and it seemed that neither Tylenol nor Motrin would bring it down successfully, so the next morning when her fever was 104.4 we said a rushed good-bye to everyone (I know they wanted to get the heck out of dodge with such a bad cold/flu season going on!), and we took her to the doctor's office. We love our pediatrician; he has nine children, five of whom are adopted! And we were told many years ago that we could throw a bomb to the man, and he would know how to disarm it...well, we've tossed him quite a few, and he's done just that! And yesterday, our poor, little Annie went through a battery of tests, and after several hours at his office, we learned that it was just a severe uti, which is something easily treated with antibiotics! (Once she has recovered, she will have an ultrasound done on her kidneys to assure our doctor that there is no underlying problem....we are all so thankful for modern medicine and that was all it is! Annie thought it was silly when Mimi graciously but seriously offered one of hers to Annie, if need be!) My poor baby! She has been more than miserable! I guess the Lord obviously saw it fitting that He and I spend some time together in prayer, for I have been begging for His healing for her...because of her high fever at times sweet Annie wouldn't be lucid or able to talk, and when she did talk, it wasn't making sense! I think the worst part was when she stopped hallucinating, she told me that she had dreamed she had found Brownie, and she asked me if it was true...aghh!

After knowing that my mom and sister had made it back home safely and after another agonizing evening of high fevers, we were able to get Annie's temps back to low-grade (we are more-than-happy for that!), and we were able to get a restful night's sleep! This morning, she is still running a low-grade fever; however, we have been able to manage it, and we see the light at the end of the tunnel! Thank you, dear Lord!

If anyone knows our little Annie, they know that she is a sweet girl bounding with energy...but not right now! Hopefully, Mom and Jen will come back once more before Nate returns from his deployment (We're so proud of you, NaNa!), for there is still so much for us to do! Come back soon...we miss you!!!!

A haunting dream

Today Tressie was the last one to wake up, and as she came downstairs we all greeted her, yet she kept interrupting us to tell us that we mustn't forget to "go to the party!" Obviously, she had dreamed about being invited to a birthday party, for all day long she would remember that she was supposed to be at a party and ask us all to remember to be sure to take her to it! We would try not to giggle and gently explain to her that we weren't aware of a party. When she wouldn't accept our replies, we'd ask her more questions...who's birthday is it...where's the party...how old are they...who is it?!?...etc. But she was insistent that we take her...but where and when we didn't know!


I have always found it fascinating that God created us with such vivid imaginations... granted some more than others, and He continues to provide such rhythm to the world in which we live. He didn't have to give us different seasons, cycles,..., but He did! He gave us four different seasons, day and night, and in addition to our waking and sleeping hours, He gave us vivid imaginations! And I know that we have all had a dream or two that have haunted us to this day. Thankfully for Tressie, her haunting dream is only going to be missing a birthday party!

Happy Birthday, dearest Craig and Laura!

Happy Birthday, dear friends! Happy Birthday to you!

Last Sunday we celebrated two special birthdays...Craig and Laura's! And a yummy lunch it was! Rob and Will joined us, and eh-hem, ladies, what two great catches I think they are! Poor Anna wasn't feeling well, but she rested in the family room while the rest of the children all played so nicely...lincoln logs, polly pockets, and you've got magic!

Macy served our crustinis with cream cheese and my spinach-artichoke pesto while 'Ivey' and Oriel handled the bar; Eric grilled us some yummy cajun pork tenderloin that we served with roasted red potatoes with garlic and rosemary as well as a few extra vegetables (for our veggie friends ;); and Charley provided a delicious chocolate/hazelnut-cream cake!

Remember gals, next year we're gonna party like it's 1999!

I love how different our girls are!

Today the girls and I had a great day...you know...one of those days when things go 'better than normal'?!? We did our school work, had some lunch, flew out the door (in much less of a furry than we 'normally' fly out the door!) and drove to my doctor's office, for I had to have some more lab work done to check my thyroid levels...again! Well, the girls were so well-behaved! (I'm still bragging on them to their daddy!)

Before we left the house, Tressie tucked a few snacks inside my purse...Valentine gifts that Mimi sent them...Thanks again, Mimi! You're the best! So as soon as we got to the doctor's office, she quickly remembered them! So as I sat in the lab chair waiting to be stuck with pins and needles, while the girls sat across the room (while still in my sight, of course!) Tressie proudly passed out the snacks.

And across the room Macy whispered to me, "Momma, I don't really care to eat anything in a doctor's office." But Annie gladly took her snacks, started eating them and ran to my side to 'take care of me' and see what was going on and said, "Uh, ma'am, is that her blood? I didn't know it was so dark!" She wanted to know every detail and wasn't skirmish at all! I just think it's amazing how God made us all so different! How boring would it be if we were all similar?!?

Don't ask her; she's just the...!

This afternoon while the girls were sitting by the fire doing their schoolwork (yet another reason to embrace homeschooling!), I overheard Annie tell Macy and Tressie to not ask me about something because she knew I wouldn't give them an answer but tell them that they'd have to ask their Daddy.
They were scheming to find out if I would give them a "yes" to allow them to all sleep in Macy's room. And somehow they've alreadly learned that "if Mommy says, 'Yes,' then Daddy will say, 'Yes'!"
Is that a self-learned lesson, for I don't know any parents who teach that, yet all children inevitably learn it!
So as Macy and Tressie continued on with their scheme, Annie had it come to a screaching hault when she adoringly/respectively said, "Don't ask her! She's just the nutrition girl, cleaning girl, and teaching girl!" Then a few moments later, "Daddy...he's the king, and he makes the decisions!"
I thought that was hysterical!

A Super Fat Tuesday!

Do you ever have those days that just seem to fly by ~ too many things to do and too little time?

This last Tuesday was one of those days...super Tuesday and Mardi Gras day! There were the regular daily to-do's, and then there were the extra daily to-do's for that day. And time limitations...aghh! (I guess if it hadn't been for the polls closing at a certain time, I wouldn't have gotten much of my extra--curricular chores accomplished, so I'm actually thankful for my deadline.)

So we whisked through our day accomplishing our chores, flew up to the polls to find that there wasn't any line (woohoo...usually, there's a long line, but this year we hit the polls at the correct time!), and flew back home to put the finishing touches on our king cake and finish our red beans 'n rice! Yum! I wish more than anything that I had taken a photo of our king cake, but as soon as some of my girlfriends began arriving for a "dessert and discussion" on a book that we had all read, we cut the cake and didn't look back! It was pretty (if I ever-so-humbly do say so myself), and it was fun for the girls and I to make (and the girls loved guessing who would get the baby in their slice of cake)! And the discussion on our book was great too...we all have/been reading Passionate Housewives: Desperate for God, which is a great book and one that I recommend highly!

All in all, it was a busy day but also a productive and enjoyable day...can't ask for much more than that!

"You know...I'm not so freaky about that!"

After supper tonight Annie walked into the kitchen to tell us something, and then she saw her daddy and I hugging, and she said, "Oh, you're so much in love, I can wait!"

"Aw...yes, we love each other."

"You know...I'm not so freaky about that!"

"What?!?"

"I'm not too much into that...you know, romantic stories?!? I'd rather super-hero stuff!"

"Slurp it like an oyster!"

Perhaps we've had a little bit too much Food Network around here while we haven't been feeling well, for we've been sleeping a little here and there (thanks to cold meds!), and there have been times when the only thing on TV to watch for entertainment was Food Network.
Today at lunch, I overheard the girls' giggling and saying, "No...like this...slurp it like an oyster!" while they were eating their pizza bites. And aside from vacationing at the beach, Food Network is the only other exposure that I can imagine they've had with oysters!
One of the best joys of motherhood (among many others!) is the fun in watching the girls enjoy life's little things!

A flying trip to S'port!

Although I absolutely HATE to leave my peeps behind, I was pretty excited that mom, dad, and Jan offered me a ticket to join them in Shreveport! And it was such a hurried decision, that I didn't even have time to get too worked up about it, but since I couldn't sleep I did get up early Saturday morning to make some pecan sandies for PawPaw and and cranberry-orange scones for Mamaw. Then after a while my peeps slowly began to awake and come downstairs, and at the first sound of Tressie's voice, Eric and I knew...Uh-Oh! She didn't sound good! So after Eric squashed my suitcase (it always takes a man to get my much-needed things to squish down so that the suitcase zipper will close!), we ran out the door to run by the pediatrician's office before the airport...always a lovely start to a trip for a mom who hates leaving her babies behind!

After waiting for what seemed forever in the pediatrician's office (I thought it'd be empty on a early Saturday morn, but nope!), we saw Dr. M to learn that she had bronchitis. So after Eric reassured me that she'd be fine, he drove us quickly to the airport; and we had plenty of time to sit and visit while we waited until boarding, then the tears began to flow! Tressie fell apart; Macy tried to hold her composure, and Eric kept looking at me with the expression "Get goin', for they're going to be fine! You know you're gonna have fun!" So as I tried to maintain my composure, I leaked a few tears and got got my powdered-sugar'd pecan sandies through the airport security (I was worried about that!) and flew to Memphis where Aunt Jan was waiting for me!

My plane was a little bit late, so I was so thankful she was there to quickly get us to the correct gate; we boarded our next flight and giggled all the way to Shreport where we landed, rented her car and drove ourselves to Pawpaw's house, and then we would drive on to the hotel to meet mom and dad. It was so good to see Pawpaw, and it was even more wonderful to hear how happy he was to know that we had pulled all of this together to be there for him, a simple man with a simple art show. Of course, we told him how special he is and how special it was to us that we be there to support him at this "simple" reception for his art exhibit! While we were getting ready to take him with us to the hotel where we were meeting mom and dad, Jan learned that they had been in a little wreck near our hotel. So we stayed with them (as long as we could...it was bitterly cold and windy!) while they finished up their paperwork with the police and the lady who had backed into them, then checked into our hotel, and then went to supper at Imperical Cathay (one of our favorite restaurants in S'port!). After a wonderful supper (if in S'port, one must go there!), we dropped off Pawpaw at his house and went on to our hotel.

It's surprising that any of us got any sleep, for we were all over-tired and having a great time laughing and just being together, and the fact that Jan was reading the jokes in Reader's Digest wasn't helping any! The next morning we awoke, got ready and had b'fast together there at the hotel, and then I rode with mom and dad to attend Grace Pres. (where some old friends used to attend...I wrote the "old" there just for you Rachel!) and then on to Pawpaw's art exhibit at the Barnwell Garden Center and Art Gallery.

Pawpaw's leaf paintings are some of my favorites; however, this one is extremely great, for he has also painted the matting.

Pawpaw looked great, and it was wonderful to see so many people trying to steal a moment or two with him. Everyone was impressed with the exhibit which features some of his artworks from 1926 to 2007! It's titled Dr. Hank Stoer: An 80-year Retrospective. And here is a newpaper article written on him...we're so very proud!

As a child, just one of my favorite memories was the whole family going down to the Barnwell Center, so the adults could walk around and reflect on the artwork that was on display, all of which I knew MY Pawpaw had done. And when the kids would get restless (which was almost immediately!), Alal would take us either outside to play on the lawn along the river or into the domed botanical conservatory, where we could run and play (until our parents joined Alal and us!) and look at all of the unusual plants and flowers! But another fun memory that I still enjoy is watching all of the fur coats come out in the winter, and let me tell you there were some pretty fancy coats and even some interesting artsy clothing at this reception...worth writing home about! Now who doesn't enjoy watching people?!?

One wonderful aspect of our trip was getting to visit with some of Pawpaw's close friends but especially our ability to visit with one of Alal's closest friends, Helen! It was as if we had spent the afternoon with Alal herself. It was so wonderful that she was able to be there, and she hasn't changed a bit...still hasn't since my earliest memory of her! And I've almost convinced her to come up here to visit with us...I really hope she does! The last time she came was when Macy was a little baby, and they stopped here to spend a night on one of their many travels through our area! Those gals liked to travel!

As the reception ended, we said our goodbyes to everyone, and Mom and Dad drove me back to the airport where I rented a car and followed them to Ruston to visit Mamaw, mom's mom. She also looks so good! She has really blossomed there in her nursing home, and I really think they need to pay her to live there, for she helps keep everyone in their places....and she really is the healthiest of all living there! Since it was late when we got there, we were just able to visit with her for a while before we headed back to our hotel, and I just had a great time talking and laughing with mom while we just laid in bed and tried to fall asleep. It really was the first time that I had gotten to visit with mom on this wild, fast trip!

The next morning we quickly got ready, had breakfast and went to visit with Mamaw some more. We took her for a walk to visit with some of her friends there at the nursing home, and then later that morning, I had to say goodbye to both of them to begin driving back to S'port...but first stopping at the Pewter Co., of course! Since Pawpaw had previous "engagements" I drove on to meet Jan at Helen's house, and we all went to have lunch at the Real Pickle...another S'port must-do! While eating lunch together, we decided that we'd just drive over to Jimmie's house to visit with her for a while, and it was so great to see her as well! Another one that hasn't changed at all in my memory! Not any at all, as Annie would say!
Then Jan and I had to say our goodbyes so that we could get back to the airport. After doing a last-minute quick search for a Mardi Gras king baby, we rushed to return our rental cars and check into finding one of Pawpaw's paintings that's located at the airport (which Jan did find...woohoo!), and we boarded our plane to Memphis, giggling all the way, of course!

Before parting ways, we had a quick bbq dinner (hello...Memphis!) before boarding our individual planes. And I just have to say "Thanks be to God!" for our landing safely, for I thought I was seated beside the next news-maker! The fella didn't speak English; he looked very suspicious; he had a terrible case of tourettes or drug withdrawal or something, for he kept jerking this way and that (I didn't know if I should scream for help for me or him!), and to top it all off, he was really sick with a sinus-something! Aghh! I've never been concerned flying in any way or fashion, but after that flight I was so thankful to put my feet on the ground and get away!

Ahhh...to be back home with my little fam! But wait...the first sound of their voices....they were all sick as well! My poor babies were all coming down with this yucky virus/bronchitis/whatever! And my poor husband who had been taking care of them all the while working from home during his busiest time of year at work! What a great guy! And not to mention that they hadn't told me while I was away that they were all dropping like flies! (One can't tell over a cell phone connection, I guess, for I talked to them non-stop...remember, I have all girls!) But home sweet home...we've all just stayed home and cuddled in front of the fire in fireplace, and I'm so thankful that we do homeschool, for we can do some schoolwork here and there, snuggled together in the warmth and comfort of our own home! Now...to get back to our "normal" routine!

One of my all-time favorites of Pawpaw's artwork...Mother Stoer, standing at the back gate of the Stoer family home!

A fun day at the Aquarium w/ friends!

Last Friday, after a quick bite to eat with our dear hubbies, Kendall, Carter-Man, the girls and I went to the Aquarium! We still can't get enough of those adorable penguins....they are just too cute!
And we walked and walked and walked some more! We made sure that we made the most of our trip by running from exhibit to exhibit to maximize our opportunities to see different animals being fed! Macy enjoyed chasing after Carter-Man, and Annie enjoyed trying to name and make friends with all of animals, while Tressie just enjoyed running! And Kendall just kept me laughing as she usually does! She is just hysterical!

While we were having a great time wandering around, mom called and asked if I wanted to join her, dad, and my aunt on a quick trip to Louisiana to be there at my grandfather's art exhibit's reception...well, of course, I did! So after making a few arrangements, they got me a last-minute ticket! Thanks again, Mom and Dad!

Happy Birthday, Macy!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday, dearest Macy!

Happy Birthday to you!

Another special day to celebrate! Again, I can't believe it's been nine years since Eric and I drove our neighbor's car to the hospital to have our first-born! Our little Christmas baby came right after a terrible ice storm hit our area, and our car was blocked in our yard with trees down every where! What an incredibly fun and memorable time of our lives! The fact that was nine years ago is rediculous!

So it was nine years ago that we had our first bundle of joy! As our tradition, we celebrated sweet Macy's birthday with a yummy breakfast at home, and we enjoyed watching her open a few gifts to let her know that we love and appreciate her. Her sisters showered her with little gifts that they had each secreatly wrapped in aluminum foil; Pawpaw gave her a beautiful aquamarine ring; Mimi gave her a cute, little black purse that I only wish I could borrow; and her daddy and I gave her a little MP3 player.

While everyone got dressed for the day, Mimi and I began to make some preparations for her birthday party when we returned home...she was having a few friends over for pizza and ice cream, so we made some cute, little chocolate lolli-pops in the shapes of pizzas.

So while the chocolates chilled, Dad took us all out to lunch to celebrate the birthday girl! Chinese~whoever would have guessed!?! Like grand-father...like grand-daughter! And it was sooo good!

After doing a little more after-Christmas sales shopping, the girls drove on home to work on last-minute things before party! With mom's help, for this party... I was prepared! We had everything set out and waiting for our first guest.
















Everything was set out and waiting...our party favors, our pretty cupcakes with their coordinating sprinkles, all of our pizza toppings and sauces, our crustinis with artichoke-spinach pesto and cream cheese, our orzo pasta salad; we even had everyone's individual pizza doughs ready and waiting! But where were those fellas? Dad and Eric still weren't home from their little shopping spree...I'm not sure that I've ever met two other manly men that like to shop as much as these two do!

As the girls arrived, they all went to the living room and were chatting like little adults! It was so cute! And the next time that I came into the room, they were playing a game - they sooo looked and sounded like little adults! It was so cute!

After several "Where in the world are you?!?" phone calls (respectfully, of course!) the guys showed up, and we got our party started. We needed our daddy to be here to toss the pizzas in the air...not my speciality! After the girls prepared their individual pizzas, we put them into the oven and went to open gifts that Macy's sweet friends had brought her.



After enjoying their individual pizzas, cupcakes, ice-cream and lots of laughter, we bundled up and headed outside to light some fireworks!

And after passing out our party favors and saying our good-byes we began to relish the last evening that we had with Mimi and Pawpaw. Yes, it was our last evening with them visiting us this trip. Poor Mimi, I think we wore her out...by this time she was barely holding herself up straight...the lady who claims, "I can't remember the last time that I wasn't well!" was tipping over from her cold medicine! And this was our last night having them stay with us.

What a help they were and what a wonderful time we had with them! I still cry like a baby when they pull out of the driveway! And um...I'm not the only one! You can hear the girls' crying; I try to hold back my wailing, and Eric does his best to keep his chin up!

We all get so sad to see them go...we hope and pray that one day they'll live closer! Then we can sit around and celebrate birthdays all day long! For in two more days it's Pawpaw's birthday!

Happy Birthday, dearest daddy!

Happy Birthday, dearest Macy!

Christmas Back-Blogging!

More to come!

Happy Birthday, Tressie!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday, dearest Tressie!

Happy Birthday to you!

Tressie, Mommy and Daddy and your sisters love you so much, and we're so proud of the little lady that you are becoming!

It's so hard to believe that my baby is now five years old! She's still an itty-bitty thing, so I can still wad her up into a little ball and hold her like a baby...which she actually enjoys our doing to her!

Celebrating birthdays is a big deal on my side of the family, and thankfully my dear husband eagerly agrees...after all, who doesn't like feeling special!?! And having two daughters, my dad, my grandmother, my cousin as well as several close friends all having Christmas birthdays, I don't want their special day to go unnoticed! Who would?

So the evening before Tressie's birthday, the girls made plans for the next morning...to have her stay in bed while they would eagerly prepare the birthday girl her favorite breakfast and hand-deliver her birthday cards and gifts!

The next morning, Tressie stayed in bed (most likely pretending to be asleep!) and awoke as she heard us coming in to greet the big birthday girl! After enjoying some time with the birthday girl, we began to get ready for her birthday party! It was a really, rainy day, so it was all too easy to move slowly and sit around and snuggle!

As the day flew by (as it often does when Daddy has stays at home!), I glanced at the clock...and it was nearing the time for guests to arrive! Aghhh! I had spent the day loving on our "baby," finishing up the birthday cake and doing last minute preparations for our birthday party and my parents to arrive for Christmas! I still have NO idea where the time went, but before I knew it...I was living everyone's nightmare! You know...the one where you're standing there naked in front of others! Poor Eric was still working on the swords that we were making for the two little fellas that were going to be at our "princess" party. Macy was ever-sp-helpful and rushed upstairs to help the girls get dressed while I ran to get in the shower! And as I was desperately praying for "a few more minutes" I continued whispering under my breath, "This is a nightmare!" As I was stepping out of the shower, the doorbell rang, and there were some of our bestfriends, Kendall and Shelley and their adorable baby Carter-man! I'll never be able to thank them enough for stepping in and hanging up this and that.

Kendall sent me back upstairs to get my make-up (and clothes!) on while she finished up this and that...and as I came back downstairs, the rest of the guests began to arrive! And what a fun, cute, little party it was! We had little cucumber-dill tea sandwiches, orange-cranberry scones, pecan sandies and pink lemonade.



We read The Princess and the Pea and played a princess/pea game; the little girls made little princess tiaras while our two princes decorated their two wooden swords. Tressie opened up the gifts that her friends so graciously gave her; and she blew out her five candles (I still can't believe that there had to be five!), and then Mimi and Pawpaw arrived!

After dining on salad and a few pizzas that dad and Eric ran to get (I seriously think they were looking for any excuse to get out of the house!), Tressie opened a few gifts from Mimi and Pawpaw, we had our devotions, got ready for bed, and fell fast asleep! A long day!

Merry Christmas!

"Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."

Being a parent on Christmas day is such a gift in itself...just being able to look at the world through your children's eyes! As soon as all of the children were awake, one could see it in their eyes, "When will we get to open some presents?!?"

Christmas morning Jen made us some wonderful cream cheese and raspberry danishes, and once we thoroughly enjoyed those, gifts were passed out, and a sea of wrapping paper, gift bags and bows were tossed everywhere!

As usual, Christmas morning was a blurr, for after a few of the new toys were thoroughly enjoyed, time snuck up on us once more! It was time to wrap up b'fast and get on with the preparations for Christmas dinner....and more family to arrive!

This Christmas (I have to say!) was a really special one, for we all just had to take turns holding our precious new little one, Ceilidh Winn (gaelic and pronounced 'Kay-Lee')! So while preparing Christmas dinner and in between stirring a sauce, chopping and dicing, we took time to handle the little bundle of joy while momma or daddy took care of something else. All the while, Mimi and I were entertained by Na-Na's musical numbers...a side note: tickets go on sale soon! If interested, contact me, his studio manager!

While we were enjoying the "sounds of the season" (with 6 grandchildren all in close quarters, we found that dad really liked to chop firewood for us...I think he was escaping...shhh!), we got a phone call from a friend in our church that had a father that Annie had invited over...well, the more the merrier! And what a treat it would be to have Señor Efrom join us. So Macy, Annie and I ran out in the sleet/rain (we considered that a white Christmas!) to get him. I'll never forget how thankful I was that we did go and get him, for he was waiting for us! He had the sweetest note written to our family and 3 gorgeous, little dolls that a family member of his in Columbia had made for our girls! We are so blessed by his kind friendship! And when we arrived back at home, Aunt Jan, Uncle Eddie, Will and Aimee were there as well!

We had a wonderful meal (ham, cornbread dressin', white rice w/ gravy, asparagus casserole (yum!), green beans w/ almonds, cranberry relish, Eric's yeast rolls (a product that has graced our table ever since he and Dad gave me my beloved KitchenAid mixer last Christmas!)...and Aunt Jan's sweet potato casserole that she makes for Eric. All of which was followed by Nate's delish decaf-coffee, our traditional ambrosia (which Mom and Macy have taken over making), and our coconut cake (with the mysterious recipe that Alal took to her grave that we are still guessing as to how to make!).

Then we have always traditionally opened up gifts with our extended family after Christmas dinner. And again...the sea of Christmas wrapping paper, bows, and bags once again grace the furniture, floor, under the furniture, etc.! It's so much fun! And I have to say that one of my favorite memories from that day was when I overheard Señor Efrom tell someone in his beautiful, Spanish accent, "Your family is so easy!" I think he's so right. Our family is so blessed by the love, respect and laughter that we all share. There is never a dull moment when we all get together, and the laughter that fills the room is truly a gift!

As the evening drew to a close, everyone began to collect there things, say their goodbyes, and we made plans to get together the following day to celebrate boxing day, beginning of kwanza, etc.

What a wonderful day and evening it was, and how great it felt to get the kitchen cleaned up (again...thanks, Mimi!), get the kiddos tucked snuggly into their beds and get into some jammies...just in time to begin our late-night chats, drinks, etc. that are always a barrel of laughs as well!

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"